Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • September 4, 2013 Ramsey West Bergen offers help with back-to-school issues year, there are changes in teachers, class- rooms, class rules, difficulty of the work, and peers. One of the challenges of grow- ing up is learning to successfully navigate these changes.” Although some children are very con- cerned about schoolwork, many children report more anxiety about friends. They want a group of friends at school who will accept them and want to be around them – whether playing on the playground in kindergarten or walking around the halls in high school. Many children find healthy ways of handling emotions on their own, but others may require some professional intervention. Alan Koenig, LPC, ADHD coordinator; Kerry Plokhoy, LCSW, staff therapist; Danielle Heller, LCSW, clinical director; Helena Fotopoulos, LPC, staff therapist; Peggy Scheulen, adminis- trative coordinator; Christie Laoudis, access clinician; Veronica Gioffre, access clinician; Giselle Delacruz, administrative assistant; Eva Bland, administrative assistant; Julie Sissel- man, LSW, staff therapist; and Roseanne Trapani, LMFT, staff therapist. (Photo courtesy of TKL Marketing, Ho-Ho-Kus.) For many children, fall is an excit- ing time of new beginnings. There are new clothes to look for, new supplies to buy, and new friends to make. For some youngsters, starting a new school year is a difficult and challenging transition caus- ing anxiety and stress for both the chil- dren and their parents. What are normal worries about starting the new school year versus worries that may require professional help? According to Danielle Heller, LCSW, clinical direc- tor for West Bergen’s Center for Children and Youth in Ramsey, these are the two questions parents frequently ask at the beginning of any school year. “Students face many adjustments in school,” Heller explained. “From year to “Knowing when to seek help for your child is not an easy decision,” Heller explained. As the school year contin- ues, the struggling child often exhibits a variety of symptoms that cause concern. Among them are: • Frequent excuses not to go to school, such as saying he or she is sick or too tired. • Refusing to talk about school. When asked about the school day, he or she may simply shrug it off, walk away, or change the subject. • Acting out in school or at home. • Developing a pattern of not doing homework. (continued on page 15)